1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of placing orders for products, such as information handling systems, and more particularly to a system and method for generating a product order from a product sample.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
End users have tremendous flexibility in selecting the capability and price of an information handling system by selecting the components used to build their system. Build-to-order Web sites, such as Dell.com, allow an end user to configure an information handling system with desired hardware and software components. The system is built from the end user's ordered configuration and shipped to the end user in a matter of days or weeks. Many end users prefer to order information handling systems configured to their specification because they are assured of ordered capabilities without having to pay for other unneeded components that are sometimes included in systems that are mass produced for sale in retail stores. However, some end users prefer to touch and feel an information handling system before purchasing the system, particularly in the case of novice end users who may not have a very comprehensive understanding of the components included in information handling systems. For example, the end user may want to try CPUs having varying speeds and systems having varying amounts of memory to see if the extra performance offered by a more powerful CPU or extra memory is worth the extra cost. As another example, the end user may want to lift and try out portable information handling systems to see if the weight, size and balance provide an acceptable solution.
One way that end users try out information handling systems is by use of an existing system at work or at a friend's residence. If an end user finds an existing information handling system at work or a friend's to meet the end user's needs, the end user can purchase a system using the configuration of the existing system as a guide. The end user can obtain the existing information handling system's configuration from its purchase order, by word of mouth or by investigating the configuration as identified by the operating system. Once the end user has an information handling system configuration, the end user can place an order for the exact system or with desired modifications through a build-to-order Web site. Another alternative is for an end user to go to an electronics retailer to try out various models of information handling systems set up as displays. If the end user finds an information handling system with desirable features, the end user can note the desirable features to use in a subsequent build-to-order purchase. However, an end user often finds it inconvenient to locate and record the configuration of the information handling system. Further, if the end user makes a mistake in recording the desired configuration, the mistake may not become evident until after the end user has purchased an incorrectly configured system.